2000
#41,262
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 498
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Rare Last name
Rastogi
A Indian surname denoting a class of traders and businessmen people.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,578 Americans carry the last name Rastogi. That puts it at #19,617 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 217,208 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rastogi surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rastogi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.6K
1 in 217,208
Census rank
#19,617
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,376 bearers of the surname Rastogi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19617th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rastogi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rastogi
The surname Rastogi has its origins in the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the Sanskrit words 'Rast' meaning 'path' or 'way' and 'Og' meaning 'to go' or 'to follow'. The name is believed to have first emerged in the northern regions of India, particularly in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, during the medieval period.
The Rastogi surname is closely associated with the Vaishya community, one of the four traditional castes in Hinduism. Historically, the Rastogis were known to be traders and merchants, often traveling along trade routes and establishing businesses in various parts of the country. Their name reflects this nomadic lifestyle and their occupation as travelers and traders.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Rastogi surname can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document compiled during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This document lists several Rastogi individuals who held positions of importance in the Mughal court and administration.
In the 17th century, the Rastogi family gained prominence in the city of Jaunpur, a major trading center in present-day Uttar Pradesh. Renowned Rastogi scholars and poets, such as Govind Das Rastogi (1617-1693), contributed significantly to the literary and cultural landscape of the region.
Another notable figure from the Rastogi lineage was Rai Munshi Bhola Nath Rastogi (1810-1873), a renowned scholar and author who served as the chief minister (Diwan) of the princely state of Awadh (present-day Uttar Pradesh) during the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.
In the 19th century, the Rastogis expanded their presence across various parts of India, with many families settling in cities like Delhi, Lucknow, and Kolkata, where they continued their mercantile activities and established successful business ventures.
One of the most influential Rastogis of the modern era was Dr. Govind Ballabh Pant (1887-1961), a prominent freedom fighter, statesman, and the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh after India's independence. His contributions to the Indian independence movement and his political leadership left a lasting impact on the nation's history.
Throughout its history, the Rastogi surname has been associated with a rich cultural heritage, entrepreneurial spirit, and a strong emphasis on education and intellectual pursuits. While the name has its roots in northern India, Rastogis can now be found across the globe, carrying forward their ancestral legacy and making significant contributions in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rastogi
Among Census respondents with the surname Rastogi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rastogi bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Rastogi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.6% · 1,315
- White2.0% · 27
- Two or more races1.7% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 7
- Black or African American0.2% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rastogi
Rastogi appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#28,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 834
+336 bearers (+67.5%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Up 12,675 places
2020
#19,617
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,376
+542 bearers (+65.0%)
Per 100,000 0.46
Rank movement Up 8,970 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #41,262 | 498 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,587 | 834 | 0.28 | +336 bearers (+67.5%) | Up 12,675 places |
| 2020 | #19,617 | 1,376 | 0.46 | +542 bearers (+65.0%) | Up 8,970 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Rastogi surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28,587 | #19,617 | 31.4% |
| Count | 834 | 1,376 | 65.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.28 | 0.46 | 64.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rastogi bearers went from 834 to 1,376 (+65.0% change). The surname moved up 8,970 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,587 to #19,617.
FAQ
Rastogi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rastogi?
Name Census estimates that about 1,578 living Americans carry the surname Rastogi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 217,208 residents.
How common is Rastogi?
Rastogi ranks #19,617 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,376 people with the surname Rastogi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,578), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Rastogi.
Has Rastogi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rastogi went from 834 recorded bearers to 1,376. That is an increase of 542 (+65.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #28,587 to #19,617.
What does the Census say about the background of Rastogi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rastogi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rastogi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (1,315 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rastogi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.6%), White (2.0%), Two or More Races (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Rastogi (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Rastogi mean?
A Indian surname denoting a class of traders and businessmen people. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Rastogi (0.46 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Rastogi?
If you just want to know how many people are called Rastogi, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.